New York Sen. Hillary Clinton squeaks past former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani 44 - 42
percent in the 2008 presidential race in Ohio, but jumps to a 40 - 35 percent lead in the key
Electoral College state if another New Yorker, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, runs as an
independent, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Bloomberg's 10 percent
comes more from Giuliani than Clinton.

In a three-way race with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former Tennessee Sen. Fred
Thompson, Bloomberg also helps the Democrat very slightly.

In head-to-head matchups against Clinton, Giuliani has slipped from a 47 - 43 percent lead
in a May 16 poll by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University to a 43 - 43
percent tie June 27 to a 44 - 42 percent deficit today. In other general election matchups:

Clinton tops Arizona Sen. John McCain 45 - 41 percent;

Clinton beats Thompson 47 - 38 percent;

Giuliani gets 42 percent to 41 percent for Obama;

Giuliani edges former Vice President Al Gore 44 - 41 percent;

Obama beats McCain 43 - 38 percent;

Obama tops Thompson 44 - 34 percent;

Gore gets 43 percent to McCain's 42 percent;

Gore beats Thompson 45 - 38 percent.

"Although Mayor Bloomberg is not that well known in Ohio - 61 percent don't have an
opinion of him and among the rest slightly more view him unfavorably than favorably - at this
point he takes more votes from Republicans than he does from Democrats," said Peter A. Brown,
assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

"These results indicate that a Bloomberg candidacy would make it easier for the
Democrats to carry Ohio's crucial electoral votes," Brown added.

When Obama is matched against Thompson - both men are running second in Ohio for
their respective party nominations - the Illinois Democrat leads 44 - 34 percent in a two-man race
and 38 - 27 percent in a three-way with Bloomberg, who gets 15 percent.

In the Democratic primary, Clinton's lead is 35 - 17 percent over Obama, with 13 percent
for former Sen. John Edwards and 12 percent for Gore.

"Thompson continues to cut into Giuliani's lead among Republicans and his showing is
impressive since 55 percent of voters, including 44 percent of Republicans, aren't familiar enough
to have an opinion of him. Sen. McCain's numbers continue to deteriorate, not just in the horse
race against other Republicans or Democrats, but in the number of people who view him
unfavorably," said Brown. "Sen. Clinton's lead is down a bit, but at 18 points she has little to
worry about in Ohio at this point."

64 percent don't know enough about Romney to form an opinion.
Bush Approval

Ohio voters disapprove 66 - 29 percent of the job President George W. Bush is doing, his
lowest score in the state.

From July 3 - 9, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,447 Ohio voters, with a margin of error
of +/- 2.6 percentage points. The survey includes 499 Republicans with a margin of error of
+/- 4.4 percentage points, and 531 Democrats with a margin of error of +/- 4.3 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ohio and the
nation as a public service and for research.

For more data -- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x271.xml, or call (203) 582-5201.

1. (If registered Democrat) If the 2008 Democratic primary for President were
being held today, and the candidates were Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd,
John Edwards, Al Gore, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, and Bill
Richardson, for whom would you vote?

TREND: (If registered Democrat) If the 2008 Democratic primary for President were
being held today, and the candidates were Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd,
John Edwards, Al Gore, Mike Gravel, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama and Bill
Richardson, for whom would you vote? na = not asked

12. If the 2008 election for President were being held today, and the candidates
were Hillary Clinton the Democrat, Rudy Giuliani the Republican, and Michael
Bloomberg running as an independent candidate for whom would you vote?

13. If the 2008 election for President were being held today, and the candidates
were Barack Obama the Democrat, Fred Thompson the Republican, and Michael
Bloomberg running as an independent candidate for whom would you vote?